Re: [long] Re: On the tense system

[John Cowan <cowan@MAGPIE.LL.PBS.ORG>]

la kolin. cusku di'e

> pu'o and pu'i were in a loose sense opposite.
>
> (pu'i is in CAhA and means 'can and has' - ie a past event)

Nope, it means "demonstrated possibility" and has nothing to do with times.

        mi ba pu'i klama le zarci
        I [future] [demonstrated] go-to the market.
        At some future time, I will go or will have gone to the market.

The notion here is that at the time specified by the time-tense, the
possibility of my going will be a demonstrated fact, either because I have
already gone or because I am currently going.  (If you are a determinist,
I suppose "pu'i" could even signify that I will be going in the absolutely
certain future.)